Rail-clamp.



R. N. WALTON.

RAIL CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. B, 1904.

R. N. WALTON.

RAIL CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. s, 1904.

gggpgy ,Patented sept. 14, 1909.

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UNITED sTAlErATnNr orricn.

RICHARD N.`WAL"roN, or Los ANGELES, (,ifiiiiroitivia.V

BAIL-CLAMP.

l rigidity which will at the saine time be cheap -'to manufacture. 4

.l Another object of the invention is to provide a rail clamp in which the weight will be distributed inf the iiiost advantageous l manner, the parts being reinforced where extra strain is incurred.

Another object of the invention is to provide for replacement or renewal of the parts 'subject to wear.

Another object of theinvention is to'v provide for a certain amount of elasticity` in a, lateral direction so as to aid iiirctaining the bolts and nuts in place while at the saine time maintaining maximum rigidity in a vertical direction.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure l is a perspective showing one form of the invention providing an outside tread or bridge for carrying the wheels over a joint. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the joint of the forni shown in Fig.l, on line aft-.r2 in said figure. Fig. 3 is a side eleva f tionshow-ing another forni of the invention showing a removable ti'ead member. Fig. 4.

-is a section on the line ,r4-rt in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an inside elevation of' another form of the` invention provided with a tread oi' bridge portion on the inner side of the rail for engagement with the fianges ofthe' wheels. Fig. 6 is a section on linemGL- in Fig. 5. 'Fig is a sectional view on the line ailm7 in Fig. 6 showing a railbond provided within the clamp.

l designates adjoining portions of two adf jacent rails which are to be joined by the rail clamp, the said clamp comprising a chair or base member'2, adapted to be placed under the rails and to engage with and support the bottom of the rails, and two side or fish plate members 3, 4, each of which eii' gages at its foot with the foot or base flanges of the rail and with said base member', and at its upper portion with the head 'of the rail, these several parts so iterlocking with I 'Application filed November 8 lmay be variously provided for.

Specification of Letters''atent. Patented Spt, 1 1, 1909.

, 1904. Serial No. 231,845,

one another and with the rail that they will provide a substantially unyielding structure connecting theends of the rails lirinly as regards lateral and vertical displacement even without the aid of they usual clamping bolts. It^is preferred however, I.to employ' such bolts to tighten the parts and provide a more secure fastening. For this purpose each ofthe tishplate members, 3, 4, has perforations 5 to receive the bolts 6, the heads and nuts of which bear upon the outer side of said members to press themA tightly against the rails.l This interlocking ofl the parts ln the form shown in Figs. l and 2, the

base member 2 has upwardly and inwardly.

extending 'anges 7, which extend directly from the body portion thereofand are reinoved suiiiciently from the base anges 8 of the rail to enable the interposition between them of outwardly and downwardly extending flanges 9 on the, members 3, 4,-said flanges t) terminating in downward .ange

extensi'iis 1Y0 which enga-ge between the substantially vertical portions of the` rail base.

and with the flange 7 to'hold the rails tightly against lateral displacement. The

upper portions of members 3, 4, are provided with intiirned lugs vo r Hanges 11 engaging under the rail head on each'side and acting iii conjunction with the parts engagingwith f the foot of the rail to hold said members firmly against'vertical displacement and giving a support for the ra-il ends that is practically unyielding in such direction.

Keys or wedges l2 maybe driven between the ends of the respective Haiiges 7 and thc body of the adjacent member 8 or 4 to tighten the parts, said keys being preferably dove-tailed as shown, to prevent their dis lodgment. One of said members 3 or 4' may be provided with a tread portion or bridge 13 extending np along the sideof the rail head substantiallyiush with the top of the rail. In Figs. l and 2 this bridge portion is shown on the member 3 on the outer side ofthe rail so as to engage and support the outer portion of the tread of thewheels rollingthere-over as the/ pass a joint.

l5 designates a .rein orcing member ex-V tending under the base member 2 and vprovided with upwardly. andinwardly extending Hanges 16 which embrace and engage the Afianges 7 so that whenr the parts are assembled as hereinafterl described, the said niem-I ber l5 will take a. paitof the vertical and than the member 2.

17 designates notches or grooves vin the side of the base member 2 for the reception of the. usual spikes. l

In putting the clamp in place on the rail, the rail ends will be raised sufficiently to allow the base member 2 to slip there-under, the distance between the inner edges of the flanges 7 heilig' suflicieut to enable the base or foot of the rail to be passed there-between by properly tipping the member 2 and insei-ting one of the foot flangesfS first below one of the flanges 7 land then raising the member 2 or lowering the rail to bring the rail in contact with said member. The side members 3,4, may then be slipped into osition by sliding them longitudinally -a ong therails and within the flanges 7. If the reinforcing member 15 is used it may be placed on the member 2, before or after the latter is set in position, or the reinforce 15 maybe sweated or integrally formed on member 2. The keys 12 having been driven into position and the retaining boltsr6 putin place, the structure will be'completed.'

Thev inclination of the iianges 9 ,on the members 3, 4 is preferably slightly rgreater than that on the top of the base fianges 8 y of the rail so that said flanges 9 are raised slightly from said base fianges, even when'l the parts are tightened, with the resultA that an outward spring or pressure will be produced on bolts 6 and keys 12 on the central `portion of the members 3, 4, said members bearing at 10i-and 11 against theA rail, this outward pe'ss'ure` serving to retain the locking keys 1'2 and also to lock the bolts 6, in the well known manner of a spring-washer. Furthermore this spring action tends to hold the parts'lirmly down on the base member 2. Base member 2 may have a longitudinal concavi'ty 18 to increasethis elastic bearing.

It is referred, especially in case where the service is heavy, as in steam railway work, to make the tread r bridge portion removable so as to enable fit to be removed when worn out without discarding or wast.- ing the main body of the clamp. It is also preferred to make this renewable tread por-V tion serve as a reinforcement for the member to which it is attached. For this purpose .one of the side members, indicated at 23 in Fig. 4, isprovided with a detachable plate or member 19, resting thereon and preferably engaging between seats, shoulders, or .lues formed by notch'ing or omitting the centralvportions of fianges 21, 22, respectively at the top or bottom of said member 23. lThe said member 19 has an inwardly extending fiange 24 engaging under the head of the rail so that when the parts are pnt in place and the fastening bolts 6 are 'pecialiy'ada screwed tight, fthe member 19 will be clamped tightly between the member 23 and the rail. The downwardly extending portion '25 of said member 19 extends inside of the member 23 and forms a reinforce therefor. In this form of the invention the upwardly andA inwardly extending Hange 27 is provided only at one side of the base member 26, the other side having a low fiange or lip 28 to extend up alongside the edge of the base flange 8 of the rail, the rail being gripped between this flange and the flange 27. The reinforce plate or member 29 is in this case provided with an upturned and inturned fiange 30 at one side, engaging over the flange 27 on member 26, which in turn engages over the flange 3l on member 23. At its other side, member 29 has an upturned and inturned flange 32 extending over the flange 33 on the member 34, that is formed similarly to the member -4 above described except that it terminates at the edge of the base flange 28. The bridge or tread portions above described may rounded or slightly beveled at the ends to permit the wheels to .run smoothly thereon. Said flanges 30 and 32 each extend inwardly to a p'oint inside the edges of the base fiange of the rail to more firmly hold the parts of the device together.

The above described constructions are ested for use with wheels having a Wide treaA that will extend over and run on the bridges 13 and 1 9.

y In case narrow tread wheels as indicated at 35, are used, for example in street railway work', a construction, such as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is desirable, the inner side member 36 being .provided with a disconnected between said member 36 and the'rail in a similar manner to the member 19 above described, the top of its tread portion, being, however, below the top of the rail so as to receive-and engage the flange of the wheel as it passes over the joint. In this case also, the flanges or heads 38 at each end of the member 36 are provided with receiving surfaces to engage the wheel flange and carry it smoothly on to the tread or bridge 37, the parts 37 38 being convexly curved.

In case a rail bond is desired, for example, y

in electric railways, it may -be placed within the space left between the inner side of either of the said members and the rail, for

example, in Figs. 6 and 7, the bond indicated at 39 is interposed between the member 35 and the web of the rail.

What I claim is A rail clam comprising the base member 2 adapted to placed under the rails and engage and support the bottoms of `the rails,

thedish plate members 3 and 4 havingout fwardly and downwardly extending flanges.`

9 and downward flange extensions 10, the

lower faces of the extensions being level with the lower faces of the rails and resting upon the base member 2, and there being flanges l1 extending inwardly from the flanges Q, and there being a bridge portion.

13 integral with one of the members 3 or 4 and extending up along the side of the rail flush with the top of the rail and across the joint between the two rails, dove-failed keys 12 driven between edges of the flanges 7 and vthe faces of the fish plates 23 and 4, and the reinforcing member 15 under the base member 2, and provided with inwardly and upwardly extending flanges 1G which embrace the flanges 7, said reinforcing member eX- tending across the joint between the two rails, and there being notches 17 in the sides of the base member 2 for the reception of spikes.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles California this 1st day of November 1904. y

RO/HARD N. VALTON,

ln presence of- ARTHUR l. KNIGHT, Jlnm TowNsnNn. 

